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Spoiler warning! This article contains major spoilers for PARTIZAN. Tread carefully! |
The Curtain of Divinity is the secretive organization which serves as the actual power behind the throne of Stel Kesh, and one of the two ruling factions of the Divine Principality. It is monarchic and traditional, in contrast to the neoliberal Pact of Necessary Venture, and desires to maintain status quo and keep the Stels together.
Its supposed leader is Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh, the Peaceful Princept.
The Curtain is mainly made up of Stels Kesh and Nideo.
History[edit | edit source]
The Curtain was founded by the Tranquil Princept, after an expedition into the Scutum-Centaurus arm of the galaxy met the True Divine and established the Honourable Oath: that the Principality would not expand beyond the Scutum-Centaurus Portcullis, and that they would attempt to progress beyond being an avaricious empire.
The Curtain was meant to rein in the Principality’s most tyrannical institutions and encourage growth and equity over generations, while hiding the truth of what lied beyond the Scutum-Centaurus Portcullis. Over time, their more noble aims were eroded, and only this final goal remained, along with a much more selfish goal of controlling the state.
By the era of PARTIZAN, the Curtain was embroiled in a silent war with the Pact. After the Red Light attacked Oxbridge on Partizan, the Curtain went public. Having revealed itself to the Principality at large, they seek the reunification of all five Stels and the permanence of the Divine Principality.
As conflict continued, Cynosure, once a figurehead, took increasing control over the Curtain. This began with his negotiation of the Treaty of Permanent Peace to lay down terms of war with the Pact. He soon cleared house among Curtain agents, demoting and reassigning those he considered unsuitable. The civil coup culminated in rebranding the faction as the Bilateral Intercession two years after the Pact and the Curtain invaded Palisade.
Tier Ranks[edit | edit source]
The Curtain keeps a simple, cell-based hierarchy, with individual worlds reporting up to star sectors, which then report up to the highest tier of command. At each tier there may be countless operatives, but each reports to one of five key figures in their tier:
The Silk[edit | edit source]
Minister in charge of Curtain diplomatic corps. Commands undercover agents who have infiltrated foreign governments.
The Damask[edit | edit source]
Philosopher, theologian, and scientist whose purview is performing and obtaining heretical and otherwise forbidden material.
The Lace[edit | edit source]
Marshall in command of the Curtain’s military forces, including reconnaissance and martial saboteur units.
The Linen[edit | edit source]
Steward, Quartermaster, Armorer, Bookkeeper. In charge of industrial espionage.
The Gabardine[edit | edit source]
Chief spymaster, keeper of all information, and (traditionally) the executive who proposes large scale, cross-branch action.
Each planet and/or sector has their own chief operatives in these roles, which roll up to the top, Divinity-wide tier. When referenced in speech or text, the operatives use only these titles, e.g. “The Lace of Partizan” or “The Gabardine of Divinity.”
Curtain Ideograms[edit | edit source]
Curtain ideograms are a set of visual symbols associated with code words with secret meanings, which the Curtain uses to share information clandestinely. The song titles in the PARTIZAN soundtrack use Curtain ideograms, although the meanings mostly remain unknown. The only one with a confirmed name, image and meaning is Bridewell, represented by the image of an iron gate, which stands for imprisonment or protection.[1]